


The Sea’s Fortune: A Tale of Romance, Blackmail, and Tentacles

by vassalady



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Romance, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 02:18:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1762735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vassalady/pseuds/vassalady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>His tentacles spilled out of the bath. He was too big to fit, and his tentacles shifted, some ducking into the bath, and others slithering out, shoved out by the rest.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>“Are you using bubble bath?” Sam asked.</em></p><p> </p><p>  <em>“Yes!” Steve scooped up a handful of bubbles. “These are wonderful.”</em></p><p> </p><p>While on vacation, Sam gets rescued by a merman with tentacles (a really hot merman with tentacles) named Steve. Then Steve follows him home. Then Sam finds himself falling in love, and then they both find themselves in danger when Steve gets found out by the wrong man. At least, they both have friends willing to help them out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sea’s Fortune: A Tale of Romance, Blackmail, and Tentacles

**Author's Note:**

> A Tentacle Big Bang fic
> 
> This work is accompanied by a fanmix by readbyanalise010, [the Eight Leg Advantage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1762215)
> 
> Additional visual art was created by reenajenkins
> 
> This is the fic I wrote for Tentacle Big Bang! I’ve been working a long time on this, and I’m happy to finally share it with everyone!
> 
> My story was claimed by the FABULOUS readbyanalise010, and she created a really awesome fanmix, [the Eight Leg Advantage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1762215)! Go listen to it, it’s really fun and fits well with the story! Thank you so much for putting up with all my pokiness and freak outs and always encouraging me! <3 The mix is fabulous, and I’ve been listening to it non-stop for the past few days. Listen, Listen!
> 
> But not only did she make an awesome fanmix, she brought in reenajenkins to create great cover art for the fanmix, as well as a beautiful banner for the fic and scene break images! All visual art credit goes to her. 
> 
> Thank you to jhoira for the beta work! You’re a star for putting up with my pushiness and being able to come in last minute to help me with it! Thanks also goes to thefalconden who was able to take a look at the first half of this story and encourage me to keep going!
> 
> Thanks also to the mod of Tentacle Big Bang for putting together the challenge!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

The minute Bucky picked up the phone, the first thing he said was, “First vacation in four years, I say I don’t want to hear from you, but what do I get? Your name popping up on my screen three days in.”

Sam held back his sigh. “Fishing has proven more boring than I thought it would be, ok? Anyway, cutting my trip short, be back this weekend. You’re still feeding Redwing, right?” He leaned back in the chair on the porch. There was a nice view from the cabin, but Sam was, frankly, bored. Maybe if someone was there with him, but Bucky and Natasha had insisted they couldn’t take the time off. And Sam was very, very single, so there had been no one special to ask. That could have made the trip worth it.

“Of course, Wilson, keep your pants on.” He heard Bucky snort, causing a large crackle over the phone. “I swear, he misses you more by the day. I didn’t know a freaking bird could be so emotional.”

“Redwing will be fine, you don’t have to worry unless he starts attacking you.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “He wouldn’t really, would he?”

Sam tried to keep his grin down as he said, “Not if you treat him right.”

“Hey, you’ve still got to stay a couple days on the coast, though. I promise, you’ll love it. I’ll let Peggy know you’re getting there early, ok?”

Sam closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He opened them to gaze out at the trees, tall pines that blocked the horizon. “How do you have friends like these? First your girlfriend’s cabin, then you know someone who runs a B&B with prime coastal real estate? Unreal, man.”

“Stop griping, you’re getting it for free.”

“Yeah, ok, I’ll go to the coast, just for you.”

“Good. You’ll like it.”

“You said that already.”

Bucky snorted again, generating another crackle that made Sam pull the phone away from his ear. “Trust me. And don’t call me again until you’re back home, ok? Maybe you’ll stay longer, I’ll keep watch of Redwing until then.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Hey, for you, anything. Even risking death by hawk.”

Sam stayed one more night at Natasha’s cabin before heading out to the coast. The bed and breakfast felt surprisingly isolated, despite the fact that it was only a few miles from a small town. It was a nice little building, red brick and white painted wood, and it wasn't far from a little inlet at shore.

He met its proprietor, Peggy Carter, who greeted him with a warm smile and a sharp word that any damages he incurred would be charged. Otherwise, his stay was free, as a favor to Bucky.

“This is your room,” she said, opening up a door on the second floor. It was spacious, the bed large, with an impressive oak wardrobe against the wall. There was no tv, nor a phone, but, as Peggy explained, “People come here for privacy.” It had a warm, homey feel that was likely appealing to middle aged people and yuppie youth.

“Privacy, hmm…” Sam was definitely tired of privacy. He would humor Bucky by staying a day or two (Peggy and her husband Gabe Jones were nice people), but then it would be back home.

Sam would admit the area was lovely. The little inn was on top of a hill, so you could look down to the ocean and the rocky shore. A small river ran parallel to the house about a mile away, feeding into the ocean. In the other direction, a few miles away, you could see the edge of a small town which, from the inn’s vantage point, looked like a quaint, sleepy town you only read about in novels.

With nothing else to do, Sam decided he might as well explore. He set out towards town first, needing to see more than a handful of people at once.

It was a pleasant town, but nothing special. Downtown was pure tourism, although there weren’t many tourists around. It wasn’t the season, too early in the year. He stopped in a small diner with a seafood theme. The strange mesh of maritime paraphernalia and 70s kitsch was almost charming, and his shrimp burger wasn’t half-bad. However, it was nothing to write home about.

As he stepped out of the restaurant, a police car pulled up. The officer rolled the window down and looked straight at Sam. She tipped her sunglasses down to meet his eye.

“You’re new in town. You need a ride anywhere?”

Sam felt a little prickle go down his back. He smiled politely, though, and said, “Oh, no, I’m fine. Thanks, though.”

He turned toward Main St, but the car inched along behind him. Sam bit the inside of his lip. Police harassment was the last thing he’d wanted on a vacation.

Against his better judgment, he stopped and turned. “Can I help you, officer?”

She smiled at him. “If you’re staying at the Carter place, you should take me up on that offer.” She took off her sunglasses and leaned out the window a little. “Peggy’s my aunt.”

“Oh.” Sam stuck his hands in his pockets. “Well, that’s a relief. And here I thought you were just racist.”

Sharon pursed her lips at that, glancing around. She looked embarrassed. “Sorry. Not that there aren’t a bunch of racist folk in this town, though. Just thought I’d offer a friendly hand.”

Sam shrugged. “Sure, if you’re offering. No funny business though.”

Sharon grinned as Sam slid in. “Depends on what kind funny business you mean.”

She drove them back to the inn, talking about anything that came to mind.

Stalking aside, Sam enjoyed talking with Sharon. She had opted to join the force instead of going into the military, and they spent a long time arguing the merits of various forms of justice and law. But she proved more than a little stubborn when Sam said he had plans to leave the next day.

“You can’t just leave,” Sharon said. She glared at Sam, arms crossed. They were sitting in the kitchen the next morning as Sam ate his breakfast. “Bucky said you weren't to leave for at least three days.”

Sam snorted. “Bucky says a lot of things, but last I checked, only I get to say what I do.”

Sharon snatched his cereal bowl away. “Well, you had your bed, you had your breakfast, I guess you’re leaving?”

“What, already?” Peggy said as she came in. She was carrying a bag of salt for the water softener. “You should stay another night, Sam. You haven’t even checked out the ocean yet.”

“See?” Sharon rose an eyebrow. “Three to one, four if you count Uncle Gabe, because he would agree, you have to stay.”

Sam sighed, recognizing Sharon would never concede without negotiation. “If I promise to stay until the afternoon, can I at last have my food back?”

“Alright then.” Sharon gave him back the bowl. Her expression was smug, as if his promise of an afternoon was meant he would stay a week. ”You should have gone for the muffins, Uncle Gabe’s really great at baking.”

“I’ll pack one for lunch.”

Sharon picked up a muffin from the tray and tossed it to him. “Good.”

Sharon and Peggy had a point about the ocean. It was gorgeous, sparkling under the sun. But it was also cold along the shore; the wind cut through his thin coat. Hoping to get away from the cold, he followed the river inland.

As noon approached, the wind died down, and Sam started to feel the heat. He stripped off his jacket and tied it around his waist. The further inland he got, the more rocky the terrain became.

He stopped in a spot that was prime for picnicking, with a flat, grassy field and large, flat rocks right up against the river. By this point, Sam was sweating. He kneeled at the side of the river and stuck his hands in. It was freezing, but he cupped his hands and splashed his face. Refreshed, Sam laid back with a sigh.

Sam let his eyes drift shut. Ok, so he had to admit it had been a long time since he’d just enjoyed the feel of sun on his skin.

After a short rest, he decided to explore the area. He stepped close to the edge to see if there was any kind of fish visible in the water below. A flash of red caught his eye, but when he whipped his head toward it upstream, he couldn't see anything through the rush of water. Well, maybe he’d see something next time.

He took a step, and then the ground fell out beneath him.

Sam hit the water hard, grazing past some kind of rock. The water rushed over his head, pulling him down. The river’s current was stronger than it had looked before, and he was swept away, turning, spinning, disoriented. He tried to find his way up and out, but he didn’t know what direction that was.

Something hit him; he gasped, and water filled his lungs.

It burned, tearing at him. He scrambled, he kicked, he fought for purchase of anything. But there was only insubstantial water.

 _I’m going to die,_ Sam thought. _I’m going to die, damn it, and I’m going to die on vacation._

As a last thought, it was disappointing.

Suddenly, he felt something wrap around him, like several thick coils. He broke through the surface with a gasp, blinded by the water, sputtering and coughing, emptying his lungs of water.

Whatever had a hold of him pushed him up onto the rocky bank. Sam clutched at the ground and helped pull himself forward. He collapsed on the ground as the pressure of the coils disappeared.

Sam coughed, hard. He lay with his face down against the rocky ground that was warm from the sun.

His body shaking, lungs still burning, and relief making him feel weak and euphoric all at once, Sam decided he was not going to leave this spot ever.

A loud splash startled him. Sam sat up abruptly, looking around wildly.

"On your left," a voice said, and Sam turned to see a man in the river leaning against a rock.

The man’s blond hair was plastered to his forehead. He grinned at Sam, arms crossed in front of him.

“You save me?” Sam said. The words were rough. He coughed again. “I… Thanks, man.”

“Not everyone can navigate these waters,” the man said. “I wasn’t going to watch you drown.”

Sam grimaced. “I don’t know if that’s a boast or what.”

“It means I hope you’re ok?”

Sam let his head fell into his hands. He was still shaky and weak feeling, and his head was starting to pound, but otherwise, he would live. “Yeah,” he said.

The man leaned his cheek on his hand. “So what made you decide to go for a swim?”

“I didn’t—” Sam ran a hand over his head. “I thought I saw something in the water, and then… I fell in.”

The man glanced away, a frown on his face.

Sam eased himself up. His body protested the movement. He felt like a pebble that had been polished round at the river bed. Once on his feet, he realized that the man in the water was shirtless. “Aren’t you cold?”

The question genuinely surprised the man. “Cold? No, not at all.”

Sam shook his head. “You’ve got more balls than me.”

“It’s really not that bad. I’m used to it, after all.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” The man beckoned him closer. “See?”

The man braced himself against the rock and then heaved himself up. Where Sam had expected hips and long, (most likely attractive) legs, he instead found a mass of tentacles.

It was like a huge octopus had attached itself to the man’s torso. The skin of his abdomen shifted in color around where his navel should have been, going from beige-pink to a deeper reddish purple. The tentacles were long and thick, tapering off at the ends into small curved nubs. One tentacle came up wrap over the man’s shoulder, and Sam saw little pink suckers on the underside.

Out of all the things Sam had seen in his life, this was not something he had ever expected. Probably no one did.

“I have got to be dreaming,” he said shaking his head.

The man chuckled. “If you are, then I am, too. Pretty nice dream, too.”

Sam wasn’t sure what to make of that comment. “So, uh, you have a name?”

The man held out his hand. “Steve.”

Sam took his hand hesitantly. It was almost disappointing that it felt like a normal human’s hand. It was a little rough, but Steve had a firm grip and a warm smile. “Sam Wilson.”

“Pleasure.”

“So why the hell exactly is… whatever you are living in a river in New England?”

Steve’s smile was crooked, and he looked far too amused. “Actually, I live in the ocean. But I like coming inland. You’re a new face, so I decided to follow you. Good thing, too, or you might be…”

“Yeah,” Sam said. His throat still felt sore from the scouring it took from the water. ‘Thanks for that.”

“So not much of a sailor, huh?”

“I used to be a pilot.”

Sam wondered if he might be in shock. Here he was speaking with a sea creature that had the torso of a man (admittedly a very attractive torso) and the legs of an octopus. He was named Steve, no less. However, here Sam was acting like it was perfectly natural.

But screaming or swearing or freaking out really did not seem worth it. Especially when the guy had saved his life.

Ok, so Sam could be dead, there was always that possibility, too. He wasn't a god-fearing man; he didn’t think much of any kind of afterlife. But if there had to be one, with the joke on him, this would seem about appropriate.

Steve’s eyes flicked to the sky, a light blue without a cloud in sight. “I’ve never been in the air.”

“Doesn’t seem to be your environment really.”

That made Steve laugh. “Just a little out of my area.”

“It’s good,” Sam said. “Being in the air.” He wanted to kick himself for saying something stupid like that to an octopus merman person thing, but again he still needed to process it all in his head.

“Tell me about it?” Steve slipped backward into the water a little. Like this, he looked just like a normal man out for a swim. Sam moved so that he was closer to the water and began to explain the exhilaration he felt in the air.

Steve listened attentively, interjecting to ask questions and to make smart-alec remarks about Sam dropping into the water.

“I’d get you out, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Very kind of you, glad you have my back.”

Steve raised a hand and saluted. “Happy to be of service.”

It was late afternoon by then, and Sam’s stomach rumbled. Steve said, “I’d offer to catch some fish for you, but I know you humans have a thing about cooking.”

“Yeah, cooking’s a thing alright. A good thing.” Sam grabbed his bag, which thankfully hadn’t gone into the water with him. All he had was the muffin from that morning. He tore it in half and offered one part to Steve.

Steve ate it with a delightful groan. “Gotta say your baked goods are also a wonder.” He licked his fingers clean, and Sam caught himself staring at the way Steve’s tongue curled around them.

Steve caught him looking. “What?”

“Nothing.” Sam glanced away. “Uh, I should probably get going…”

“Hey, come back tomorrow?” Steve smiled, a flirty one that had Sam shaking his head with a grin on his face.

“Sure,” he said. “Tomorrow.”

Steve grinned and slipped back underneath the water. Sam leaned over the side, but Steve was already gone.

When he reached the inn, Peggy and Sharon were both ecstatic to hear he would be staying another day.

“Told you you’d like it here,” Sharon said.

Sam shrugged, as if he didn’t really care one way or the other. “Maybe not for the reasons you’d said, but yeah. This place isn’t too bad.”

That night, Sam dreamed of Steve’s smile and long tentacles wrapping around his wrists.

The next morning, the whole situation seemed more than a little ridiculous. “He’s a merperson,” Sam said as he headed up the river. “He’s a merperson with tentacles, like Ursula, if he exists at all. You are one crazy dude, Sam Wilson.”

Sam found the spot from the day before, and he settled in to wait. It wasn’t long before he heard a splash, and Steve popped up from the surface not far from where Sam dangled his bare feet just above the cold water.

“Hey,” Steve said.

“Hey.” Sam’s eyes traveled down Steve’s body, to where his human flesh transformed into that of a cephalopod. There they were, long tentacles visible through the water, moving languidly, curling and uncurling.

Yesterday was definitely not a dream. Sam was, a bit to his surprise, more than okay with that.

“So what’s life like being a…” Sam looked for a word. “What do you call yourself, anyway?”

“A person,” Steve said, eyebrow raised and smirking. “Although merman is something you might say?”

Sam nodded. “Okay, merman. What’s it like being a merman?”

“It’s life,” Steve said with a shrug. “There’s not much interesting to say.”

“Oh come on, that can’t be true.”

“What’s it like being a human?” Steve shot back.

Sam floundered for words for a moment. “Okay, fine, point taken. I guess it would take just time to suss out the differences, huh? It would only come up if one of us saw those differences.”

Steve shrugged. “Well, I’ve got nothing but time. Tell me more about flying.”

Sam laughed. “If you want. I think I told you everything already, though.”

But Sam talked about it more. He talked about Redwing, who he had saved when an illegal falconer was busted a couple years back. He talked about his work at the VA, working with veterans, and how he’d met Bucky there.

“Buck’s a good guy, I think you’d like him,” Sam said. “He can be a pain in the ass, sometimes, but a really good guy.”

“Maybe I should.”

“D.C.’s a little far away.”

“But it has access to the water, right?” Steve leaned forward. “I’d like to visit you there.”

Sam shook his head emphatically. That would be a very bad idea. He told Steve as much. “Look, out here, there’s no one. D.C. has got over half a million people and the US government. What if someone caught sight of you?”

“That’s my issue, isn’t it?”

“Look, I’m just saying it might not be the best idea.”

Steve frowned, frustrated by Sam’s refusal, but Sam just couldn’t understand why he was so insistent on getting caught. Sure, okay, so Steve had never seen any of the movies in which the government captured Something Strange and dissected the hell out of it. But Sam had. He had seen plenty. This was just a bad idea.

“I’m staying one more night, I’ll come see you tomorrow again, ok? But you can’t come to D.C.”

Steve swam closer to Sam. “I hear you. But you don’t really get to make choices as to where I go, no matter how cute you are.”

That came out of left field, and Sam just stared. Steve moved closer until he was right next to Sam, leaning against the rock Sam sat on. Sam felt something cold and wet swipe across the bottoms of his feet.

“Jesus!” he said, tugging his feet up. “Warn a guy, will you?”

The offending tentacle wiggled above the water for a second before slipping back underneath. Steve was doing a very poor job of keeping his laughter down. “Next time, pay attention. And don’t tell me what to do.”

“Alright, alright, no telling you what to do.” Sam cautiously let his feet hang again. “I’m just. Worried, you know?”

“That’s sweet, but I can handle myself.”

“Look, just trying to help.”

“I appreciate it.” Steve’s tone changed as he said that. It was heartfelt. Steve actually cared that Sam cared, even though they had only just met. That made Sam’s stomach turn in flip-flops.

“Sorry,” Sam said. “How about I call you out on stupid sounding shit just so I can say I told you so when it goes belly-up?”

Steve grinned and held out his hand. “Sure.”

They shook. Steve’s hand was warm, if damp, and his grip was firm. Sam liked it; he would happily just sit holding Steve’s hand for a long while.

Their conversation drifted away from Washington D.C. Steve told Sam about living in the ocean, what it felt like to just always be surrounded by water, what it felt like coming to the surface.

“There’s a different sense of weight,” Steve said. He looked up at the sky, a faraway look in his eye. “It’s easier to move in the water. When I come up, there’s less resistance around me, but I feel heavier.” Steve took a deep breath. “I can’t feel the way the air moves through me the way I can feel the water as it filters through and out my gills.”

“Wait, hold up, you have gills?”

Steve smirked. “Yeah. Want to see them?”

“Hell yeah.”

Steve told Sam to stretch out on his stomach so that he would be closer to the water. Sam was careful as he did so; he still recalled the unwanted dunking yesterday. When Sam was situated, Steve slipped down into the water.

Sam clenched his fists. It was involuntary to the sight of Steve opening his mouth underwater. Every one of Sam’s instincts knew Steve should be drowning, even though he intellectually knew this wasn’t the case. He couldn’t help hold his breath a little in sympathy.

Steve was completely at ease. He might as well have been above the water for all it affected him. His mouth was moving, like he was talking, but Sam couldn’t hear a thing. Steve pointed to his neck, winked and then spun over.

Sam’s breath caught. Steve’s gills were on the back of his neck, right at the base, but moved a few inches down his back. The gills ran horizontally on Steve, and they moved as the water moved from Steve’s nose and mouth, through his system extracting the oxygen, and out the gills again.

Sam was transfixed as he watched the gills work. There was something hypnotic about it, the way they moved. Sam’s eyes traveled from the gills down to Steve’s broad back, which seemed to shimmer in the water and sunlight. The skin faded into the darker red, and then split into the many tentacles. Sam tried counting them, but they moved in a way that, combined with the refraction from the water, made it difficult to keep track of them.

Without warning Steve shot up just inches in front of Sam. Water splashed across him, soaking his head and shoulders.

“Hey, watch it!”

Steve’s laugh rang through the air, open and full. It made Sam feel happy, even though he was dripping. He wiped the water off as best he could. When he was done, he noticed Steve watching him in an unfocused way.

“What’s the matter?” Sam said. It was a slow shift as Steve’s focus came back. His expression dissolved into a small smile.

“Wet’s a good look for you.”

Sam snorted and shook his head. “Sure, thanks.”

He met Steve’s eyes and realized they were a brilliant blue, the kind of blue water was supposed to be in fantasies. After that, Sam was gone. He examined every part of Steve’s face, the curve of his nose, the way his brow furrowed as he saw Sam staring, the fullness of his bottom lip, its red color, and his strong jawline. Steve was classically handsome, the kind of man that could have modeled for David.

“If you come closer, you can get a better look.”

Sam coughed. “Sorry, I…” He took a breath and kicked himself. Real smooth, Wilson. “Can I see them? Out of the water? The gills, I mean.”

Steve narrowed his eyes, lips pursed, but he turned around and bared his neck. “Don’t pick at them,” he said. “That’ll hurt just a bit.”

“So I can touch them?”

Steve’s voice was husky as he said, “If you’re careful.”

They weren’t anything like when they were under the water. Then, they had been all movement, almost like a heartbeat in their rhythm. Now, they were barely visible. There were small flaps of skin that layered over where the gills would otherwise have opened. These skin flaps appeared as whitish scars.

Tentatively, Sam reached out his fingers. He began at Steve’s hairline. That was safe. He toyed with the short strands, running his fingers across them, and then he slowly trailed down Steve’s skin. Underneath his touch, Steve shivered slightly, but he didn’t move away. When Sam reached the first gill, he paused before lightly stroking it. It felt much like the rest of Steve’s skin, except that it was a little smoother. He stroked them downward, like stroking a hedgehog’s quills.

“Amazing,” Sam said in a quiet breath. He leaned forward until he was just inches from Steve’s skin. There was something just a little bit off about his skin, but Sam couldn’t say what. Maybe it shone just a little bit too much. Sam once again ran his fingers down Steve’s gills.

He felt a tentative touch on the inside of his wrist. The end of a tentacle hovered just below his arm.

“Can I?” Steve asked. He was still and tense beneath Sam. Sam nodded before saying, “Yeah.”

The touch of the tentacle was unexpected. It was softer than he would have guessed. There were small bumps on the underside that gradually tapered off, replaced by suckers as the tentacle went on toward the torso. The bumps felt good; the suckers did, too, as they pulled just slightly on Sam’s skin.

What surprised him was that there were actually little hairs on the top side of the tentacles. For some reason, Sam appreciated that. Steve was (probably) mammal. However, with the water, the hairs may as well have not been there are all. Sam ran his hand over it; the tentacle felt smooth.

Steve wrapped his tentacle around Sam’s arm, giving it a light squeeze. Sam heard a soft sigh, and he glanced up. Steve faced him again, eyes trained on Sam’s face. “Hey,” Steve said softly.

“Hey.”

Sam didn’t know what else to say. He was caught up in the way Steve’s eyes flicked down and came back up to meet Sam’s. Steve quirked his eyebrows up as he smiled.

“You really have to leave tomorrow?”

Sam’s voice caught as he tried to reply. He coughed and tried again. “Yeah. I have a life there, you know. Things to do. Don’t you?”

Steve shrugged. “I did. Once upon a time.”

There was more to it that Steve wasn’t telling, but Sam didn’t push. He understood, and pushing was not the answer.

This time, it was Steve who said, “Well, I should get going. Make sure you come back here before you leave, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Sam said. “I will.”

When he returned back to the inn, he declined Peggy’s invitation to dinner and retired to his room. He ran his fingers over his arm where Steve had touched him with his tentacle and looked out to the ocean for a long time.

“Come back soon,” Peggy said. “And give my best to Bucky.”

Sharon was less polite. She nudged Sam’s shoulder. “Hey, might see you sooner rather than later. I’m planning on heading down to DC for a seminar in a few weeks, we should grab a drink.” She gave him her number, and with a final goodbye to Gabe (and receiving a few of his muffins), Sam left with his bag slung over his shoulder.

The walk to the river was much more uncomfortable with his bag, but Sam managed it fine. The day was a little warm, but not too bad. Unfortunately, it was also cloudy. He hoped it wouldn’t rain.

He reached the river and dropped his bag down without a thought. “Steve?” he called out. He walked to the edge and peered in, looking up and down the river. “Steve!”

“Shouting’s not going to do much good,” Steve said. But his voice came from behind Sam.

Sam spun around, and there was Steve standing on legs. Sam stared. He had legs, normal human legs. And he was wearing clothes, a tight shirt, dark coat, and jeans that looked a size too small.

If Sam hadn’t spent so long feeling how real Steve was yesterday, he would have said he was successfully punked, and Ashton Kutcher could show up any minute.

“I….” Sam just shook his head, trying to find words. “Damn. You’re looking good. Different. But good.”

Steve grinned, cocky. He held out his arms and spun around. “You like?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” Steve strode over to Sam with confident and easy steps. “You said you were going to DC, thought I’d join you.”

Like this, Steve was tall. Sam tilted his chin up to meet Steve’s eyes, though it wasn’t by much. “How?” he said. “You’re…” He gestured helplessly at Steve’s legs. “Those are different. New.”

“Yup.” Using Sam for support, Steve stuck out a leg and spun his foot. He was wearing Converse of all things, which struck Sam as particularly ridiculous. “Haven’t taken these out for a while.”

“Wait, so this is something you can just do? Some kind of metamorphosis shit?”

Steve did not appear to understand how damn amazing this was. He shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. I mean, it takes a while, that’s why I left early yesterday. Have to dry out.”

“Dry out.” That sounded neither appealing nor made sense in how Steve might actually change his tentacles into legs. “Wait a minute. Can I…?” He gestured to his own neck to indicate he wanted to check Steve’s.

Steve understood and nodded. The jacket covered up most of his neck. Sam ran his fingers along the edge. Steve tensed slightly, but relaxed as Sam pulled down the coat. At first, Sam thought the gills were completely gone. But then he saw very faint white lines. He let his fingers run over the skin, but there was no break. The skin was solid.

“So what’s it like?” Steve said. “I’ve never seen myself.”

“Pretty,” Sam said. He let go of the coat and let Steve tug it back up and readjust. “Like a birthmark, but nothing telling.”

“Thanks.” Steve clapped Sam on the shoulder. “So we going or what?”

“Just waiting for you to sprout wings,” Sam said as he started walking back toward town.

“That’s your trick.”

“I just don’t understand,” Sam said as he led Steve up to his apartment. “If you could have done the… the leg thing this whole time, why haven’t you?”

“I told you, it takes time.” Steve shrugged. “It’s not something I’ve done often. There didn’t seem much point. It’s… It’s not something even I fully understand.”

“How can you not?”

Steve’s eyebrow rose as he gave Sam a disbelieving look. “Like you fully understand how every single thing in your body works?”

Sam couldn’t resist giving him a smirk and saying, “Maybe I’m unusually self-aware.”

Steve’s smile was brilliant. “I’m sure your digestive tract is very interesting.”

“But really,” Sam said, returning to the issue at hand, “you don’t really know how it works?”

“Not… fully.”

“Huh.”

Sam unlocked his door and pushed it open. “Here we are,” he said. “Home sweet home. Mi casa es su casa and all that jazz.”

Sam’s apartment wasn’t much. He was a little embarrassed as Steve walked in and looked at everything, from the wood flooring to the lights that needed a good dusting. Steve ran his hand along the gray counters in the kitchen. He flicked aside the dark red curtains to peer out the window. Then he found Redwing, who had been asleep in his cage, which took up an entire side of Sam’s living room.

Redwing let out a screech at Steve. Sam laughed as Steve jumped back in surprise.

“He’s, uh, quite loud,” Steve said.

Redwing turned his head to examine Steve. Sam slipped on his thick leather glove as he laughed. “Come on, Redwing,” he said, opening the cage. “Greet our guest.”

Redwing stepped out onto Sam’s gloved arm. His talons gripped him tightly, but the leather served its purpose.

“Here, he likes when you do this.” Sam brushed his fingers over Redwing’s head.

“Hello, Redwing. My name’s Steve.” Steve stroked Redwing gently. “You’re certainly a very lovely sight.” Steve glanced up to meet Sam’s eyes. “He’s not going to fly away, is he?”

“No. Last owner was a piece of work, got pissed he wouldn’t listen, so he pinioned him.” Sam’s fingers hovered over the ends of his wings. “Badly, might I add.”

Steve said, “He’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, he is.” Sam felt like a proud dad showing off his kid. He lifted Redwing a little higher. “Happy to see you again, bud. You would have loved it, lots of space, nature, the air…”

Redwing screeched and batted his wings.

“Now I think you’re just making him jealous,” Steve said.

“No, you’re making him jealous.”

Steve looked mock-aghast at the idea. “Me? How could I?”

“Well, I don’t usually have many people over…”

“I would have expected you to have friends over all the time.”

“I go to other people’s houses, not many people come here.”

Steve nodded. “Well, same.” He grinned. “Hard to invite someone home when they can’t breathe a hundred feet underwater.”

Sam carefully placed Redwing back in his cage and checked his food and water before continuing the short tour. “Here, let me show you to the guest bedroom.” As Steve glanced around the room, Sam asked, “Do you have anything? Other than what you’re wearing?”

Steve hadn’t brought any kind of bag with him. He shook his head. “Uh, no?”

Sam let out a slow breath. “Okay, well, I guess you can borrow my stuff. Can’t have you wandering around naked.”

Steve shrugged. “Hey, I wouldn’t care, but I’ve learned humans have a different sense of modesty.”

“Ok, fishboy. I’m going to wash up, I’ll grab some clothes for you later, make yourself at home.”

As he turned to leave, Steve said, “Hey, Sam?”

Sam waited at the door.

Steve’s smile was nice, real and genuine. Sam’s stomach twisted in funny knots. “Thanks for this.”

“Sure, no problem.”

In the shower, Sam wanted to hit his head into the wall. “No problem?” he repeated to himself. “I’m such a loser.”

Worse yet, he was a major loser who was seriously crushing on a merman. What the hell had Sam’s life become? Maybe he was still dreaming, and any minute he’d wake up.

He hoped he wouldn’t.

When Sam opened the door, Bucky pulled Sam into a hug with his one arm. “Hey, I thought I told you you weren’t supposed to be back until the end of the week.”

“Hello to you, too,” Sam said. He patted Bucky on the back and smiled at Natasha. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” she said. “Brought a gift.” She held up a bottle of wine.

“Oh, I could kiss you now.”

“Hold up,” Bucky said, hand on Sam’s chest. He glared, although the effect was spoiled by his twitching lips. “She’s my girlfriend.”

Natasha swept by the two of them as she said, “Not if you keep up that attitude.”

“Aw, snap,” Sam said. Bucky just huffed and slung his arm around Sam’s shoulders. They followed Natasha into the kitchen, where she was taking out glasses. “So what the hell are you two doing here?”

“Heard you were back in town, thought we’d swing by, throw you a welcome home from your first vacation in years party.” Bucky let go of Sam to accept a glass of wine from Natasha.

“Well, I’ve already got company over,” Sam said.

“Oh-ho…” Natasha gave Sam a smug look. “So who is he? A secret you’ve been hiding, or did you bring back a fling from your trip?” She took out a fourth glass.

It was a special talent of Bucky and Natasha to settle into Sam’s apartment as if they lived there themselves. Of course, Sam didn’t really mind.

“He was in the middle of nowhere, there was no one to meet,” Bucky said. He took a long drink from his glass before adding, “So that means you’ve been holding out on us.”

Sam rolled his eyes. Nevermind that he may have liked it to have been a fling, it wasn’t, and Bucky and Natasha were looking too self-satisfied for their own good. While maybe his apartment was a free-for-all, his life love was not their business. “I haven’t—”

It was that moment that Steve walked through the door. He stopped in surprise, glancing between Bucky, Natasha, and Sam.

“Uh, hi,” he said slowly. Sam just stared at him. He was wearing one of Sam’s shirts, and it absolutely did not fit. Every single muscle in Steve’s torso was accentuated with the shirt stretched tightly across them.

Bucky put down his glass and approached Steve slowly. He looked him up and down. Steve shifted underneath his gaze.

“This is—” Sam began to say, his brain finally catching up with him, but Bucky cut him off.

He stuck out his hand to Steve and said, “Bucky. Don’t believe anything Sam’s told you.”

“Good, because I didn’t think you’d really wrestled an alligator,” Steve said smoothly. He didn’t blink twice at Bucky’s missing left arm. He gave Bucky a firm shake, and just like that, the tension broke.

As Natasha swept by Sam, she said, “You pulled a looker. Good going.”

“It’s not—” But Natasha was already to Steve and inviting him to one of her work-outs. She always liked to put Sam’s dates through their paces. Vetting, she called it. Liking to kick the asses of Sam’s dates, Sam called it.

Bucky and Steve hit it off really well. As the evening wore on, Sam was surprised by how well Steve was able to hold his own in light of pop culture references. Bucky made mention of Steve living under a rock once or twice, but it was a friendly joke, nothing more.

Natasha kept giving Sam meaningful glances. It meant that sometime, she, Sam, and Bucky were going to sit down and have a talk about what they thought of Steve.

If they liked him so much, they could date him themselves and leave Sam in peace.

Sam shook his head and reminded himself they _weren’t_ dating. That Steve was a merman with tentacles who was pretending to be a normal person, because he wanted to see the world or something like that.

So, none of this even mattered.

The evening got a little less enjoyable for Sam after that.

“So how did you meet?” Bucky asked. He grabbed another piece of pizza.

“Well, uh,” Steve said as he glanced at Sam. “Sam was having a little trouble swimming, and I helped him out.”

“Yeah, a little trouble,” Sam said. “You could call it that. Or drowning.”

“When was this?” Natasha asked. Her tone was part amusement, part concern. As much as she cared about people, if they were alright, she was up to mocking the hell out of them.

Sam said, “What, four days ago? Maybe three.”

That made Bucky and Natasha fall silent. Sam and Steve kept eating. “Hey, pass me the breadsticks, please,” Sam said, and Steve handed them over. He tore one off and dipped it in the garlic sauce. “Also, for the last time, not dating.”

Steve looked at him blankly. It only lasted for a moment, and then he concentrated on his pizza again.

When Bucky and Natasha had gone, Sam found Steve sitting on a chair the wrong way around, arms crossed over the back and resting his chin on top, watching Redwing eat.

“I’m going to bed,” Sam said. “You need anything?”

Steve looked at him, a soft smile on his face. “No, I’m good, thanks.” The smile slipped away, and he looked back at Redwing.

“Well, good night.”

Steve didn’t reply. Sam spent far too long staring at his ceiling that night. With a sigh, he turned over on his side, wondering just what the hell had gone wrong.

In the morning, Sam had to return to work. Steve was much more lively that morning. Sam made sure that he knew where everything was in the apartment before he left.

Sam also gave him a copy of the key. “If you go out, please don’t get lost. I’m not sure how I’d find you.”

Steve grinned. “I have a good sense of direction, you don’t need to worry about me.”

But Sam did.

He spent his day in several group sessions, spoke one on one with others, and while he worked, the past week seemed to fade away. There was something grounding about focusing on work, on helping the men and women who came to him to find their place in the world again.

In a very different way, Sam understood Steve wanted to find a place in the human world. That was why he followed Sam. Once today was through, Sam would have to start really showing Steve what life was like.

Of course, how one exactly showed a tentacle creature the human world was another question entirely.

When Sam got home, he called out, “Steve?”

Redwing screeched in reply. “Hey, there, boy. You seen Steve anywhere?”

Redwing stared at him a moment before going back to grooming.

“Thanks,” Sam muttered. “Very helpful.” He knocked on Steve’s door, but there was no answer. “Steve?”

Great. Steve had left and gotten himself lost, or he had robbed Sam blind for a fool and run off. Well. There went any and all plans he’d had.

Feeling grimy, Sam pushed open the bathroom door only to be met with the sight of Steve in the bathtub.

“Oh,” Steve said, looking up at Sam. “Hello.” His smile spread across his face, making Sam’s heart skip.

More than that, Steve was… Steve again, how Sam had first met him. His tentacles spilled out of the bath. He was too big to fit, and his tentacles shifted, some ducking into the bath, and others slithering out, shoved out by the rest.

“Are you using bubble bath?” Sam asked.

“Yes!” Steve scooped up a handful of bubbles. “These are wonderful.”

“Just don’t get them in your gills.” Sam walked in and leaned against the sink. “Imagine that would sting.”

Steve smirked. “I told you not to worry about me.” Steve sighed happily and sank a little further. This shoved his tentacles out even more. They curled up away from the cold floor. “I could just stay here forever.”

“My mom used to say I’d shrivel away into a raisin. But I’m guessing that’s not going to happen to you.”

“Join me?” Steve said with a smile. He held out his hand. “We’ll see if you shrivel or not.”

Sam rose an eyebrow. “You really expect me to fit in there? You are crazier than I thought.”

“You never know.”

A tentacle came up and curled around Steve’s wrist. He sighed, content, as he gave himself a massage. The tentacle ran up his arm and then around his shoulder. Sam’s mouth went dry as he watched Steve’s eyes close. Another tentacle came up and began rubbing along Steve’s chest.

Sam had trouble swallowing. “You know, maybe I should just, uh…”

Steve looked confused. “You don’t have to go. I want to hear about your day.” Steve leaned on the edge of the tub, arms crossed. “It’s been a bit lonely with just me and Redwing. TV was fun for a while, though.”

Against Sam’s better judgment (hanging out with a naked Steve was maybe not the smartest of choices), he stayed and began talking about his day. He didn’t go into details; those he worked with shared their stories in confidence. But he liked sharing the successes, how satisfying it was when he saw people gradually put their lives back together.

Steve listened attentively, his brow furrowed.

“Do you still struggle?” he said at last.

Sam looked down at his hands. “Yeah,” he said. “But it’s a lot better.”

Steve nodded, thoughtful. A tentacle still stroked up and down his clavicle, maybe as a nervous tick or a thoughtless fidget. Steve’s smile crept up slowly, and he said, “You sure you don’t want to join me in here?”

Sam chuckled. “No, man, I don’t want complaints from below that we’re flooding the place.”

“That’s a shame.”

Without warning, Steve flicked one of his tentacles and sent water spraying toward Sam. It wasn’t enough to get him wet at all, but Sam instinctively raised his arm and said, “Hey, watch it!” even as he started to laugh.

Steve joined him, and the next couple moments consisted of Steve trying to splash Sam, and Sam defending himself with a towel like a matador in front of a bull.

The floor now slick with water, and Sam laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe, he leaned against the counter trying to catch his breath. Steve settled back, slipping as much of his lower body as he could fit in the tub, but he still spilled over, tentacles curling around the edges, and one almost to the floor.

“When you’re done, you want to watch a movie?”

Steve let his head fall back with a grin. “Sounds perfect.”

Steve rolled from the tub, tentacles propelling him out. Sam fetched a few more towels, because Steve had a lot more bulk than a man with two legs.

It was almost funny how Steve trundled along the floor, tentacles pushing and pulling. Sam choked back another laugh.

“So when will your legs — the human ones, I mean — come back?”

Steve pulled himself up on the couch with his arms and legs. “In a bit.”

Sam sat on the other end of the couch. To his surprise, Steve leaned over so that his head almost rested in Sam’s lap. “May I?” he asked, looking up at Sam.

“Sure.”

Steve shifted so that his head rested on Sam’s thigh.

As they watched the movie, Sam played with Steve’s hair. Steve sighed contentedly underneath his touch, and in return, a tentacle came up to gently stroke the back of Sam’s neck. The texture was softer than Sam would have expected. He leaned back, encouraging Steve to keep up the movement.

It felt good. It felt so good that Sam fell asleep well before the movie was over.

Sam woke up when he felt something drape across him. He jerked up to find Steve (now two-legged and dressed) standing in front of him, a blanket in his hands.

“Sorry,” Steve said. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Naw, man, it’s cool.” With a cracking noise, Sam stretched. He stifled a yawn. “I should get to bed, though…”

“Yeah.” Steve glanced down at his hands. “Hey, um, you know how yesterday, you told your friends we weren’t… Well, we weren’t seeing each other.”

“Yeah.” Sam held his breath. It had been the truth. But what was true now didn’t have to remain the truth.

“You know what, nevermind. I’ll let you get some sleep.”

To Sam’s disappointment, Steve turned and fled to his room.

Soon, Sam and Steve fell into a routine. Once Sam returned from work, he would take Steve out to explore the city. They visited several of the museums at the Smithsonian. They walked along the Potomac. They stopped in every store that caught Steve’s eye.

Steve marveled at an odd mixture of things. Books didn’t phase him, although he did find it “cool,” as he said, that there were rows and rows of them in bookstores. The movie theater blew him away, but he didn’t bat an eye at Sam’s ipod or phone.

“I don’t understand you,” Sam said one evening as they watched a movie in Sam’s apartment.

Steve just smiled and shrugged from his position on the floor. “This is the first time I’ve really spent on land for any length, but I have spoken to more humans than just you.” He rolled over to his side with a smug grin and ate another piece of popcorn.

His tentacles were spread out around him, one lazily rubbing up and down his side. Sam didn’t think Steve realized it. It was like a cat’s tail flicking or someone absently scratching their thigh.

“Aw, and here I was thinking I was special,” Sam said. He meant it as a joke, but it came out surprisingly petulant.

Steve’s eyes gleamed as he said, “Well, maybe a little special. I haven’t met anyone else by them falling on top of me.”

“I did not fall on top of you.” But Sam thought back, and there was something he had hit when he had first fell. “Wait, that was you?”

Steve laughed. “So you didn’t exactly fall on me. But it was a close thing.”

“Good thing I’m light.”

“You think you’re light?” Steve scrunched up his face as if in thought. “I thought that word meant ‘something not weighing much.’”

Sam threw a piece of popcorn at Steve’s head. A tentacle whipped out to block it. The kernel landed on the floor, and the tentacle picked it up with a smooth flick.

Steve grinned as he popped it in his mouth. “Better move faster next time?”

“You want faster?”

“If you’ve got it in you.”

“That’s it.” Sam set aside his popcorn and tackled Steve on the floor. Steve’s bowl went flying, scattering popcorn all over the place. Sam wrestled Steve, who had an unfair advantage with more than a half-dozen extra limbs tugging at Sam.

Things were good. And if Sam got an extra warm fuzzy feeling, well, so he was kind of falling in love. It happened. He was only human after all.

Steve was so much more, though.

“This looks really nice in the early morning.” They sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking out across the Reflecting Pond to the Washington Memorial. It was late afternoon, and the plaza was filled with tourists. “The light shining just right…”

“I want to see it,” Steve said. “Let’s come back. For sunrise.”

“Really?”

Steve nodded. “I’ve never seen a sunrise inland before.”

So the next day, they returned there. No one was around that early. Unfortunately, the sky was cloudy and unlikely to clear.

“Kind of a bust,” Sam said, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, let’s not waste it.” Steve stepped up the the edge of the pool. “Race? Once around. First back wins.”

Sam cracked his knuckles with a grin. “You’re on.”

They took off. Sam pulled ahead and ran for all he was worth. A stitch started developing in his side, but he pushed through it. Damn, he needed to start running again. He didn’t glance back to see where Steve was, but when he was half way around, out of nowhere, Steve passed him to the left.

“Shit!” Sam ran faster, but Steve easily outpaced him. Steve waited for Sam by the start line, an easy grin on his face and not a bit out of breath.

“Took you long enough.”

“You were teasing me,” Sam said between heavy breaths. “You let me think I could win.”

Steve’s smirk just grew. “Maybe.” He shrugged, like he didn’t care whether he had or not.

“Damn it,” Sam said. “You shouldn’t be that fast or agile on two legs, it’s not fair. I got to be able to beat you at something.”

“You want to go?” Steve took a step back, beckoning Sam over with a flick of his hands.

“I could take you.”

“Didn’t last time.”

“You had an eight-leg advantage, so not fair. I could take you now.”

“Then prove it.” Steve gestured for Sam to come at him again.

Sam shook his head. “Oh no, I’m not falling for that. You’re going to just pretend to lose again before you hand me my ass.”

“Come on, you say it, you have to prove it.”

Sam chuckled. He couldn’t believe he was actually doing this. Experience proved this wasn’t going to end well. “Fine, you’re gonna regret this.” Sam pulled off his sweater and tossed it to the ground. He crooked a hand. “Come on.”

Steve grinned as he grabbed for Sam. They struggled against each other, neither getting the upper hand as they wrestled. Sam gripped Steve’s shirt and tried to pull him down, but Steve planted himself solidly.

Steve’s hands were hot against Sam. They struggled some more, Sam trying to pull Steve down, Steve doing the same, and then all of a sudden, Sam felt himself falling.

“Shi-”

They hit the water with a splash. Sam lost his grip on Steve, and his shoulder hit the bottom hard. It was just deep enough that water got up his nose.

He came up sputtering water. “Holy shit,” he said, wiping the water from his eyes. “Did not sign up for a dunking.”

He heard Steve chuckle. “Sorry,” he said. “Tripped.”

“Sure you did.”

“Also, uh, I think I ruined your pants.”

Sam stared at him for a second, not understanding. Then he felt something dart past his arm, followed a second later by a red tentacle peeking out of the water. Just below Steve’s shirt was the tattered waistband of his jeans, which had been torn apart by his legs changing to tentacles.

Sam broke out into giggles. “Shit,” he said, still laughing, “how the hell are we getting you out of here now?”

Steve shrugged, nonchalant. “We’ll figure something out.”

The tentacles came up around Sam. Sam reached out and brushed his hand along one.

The sun chose that moment to appear from behind the clouds near the horizon. The light reflected off the pool and Steve’s hair, making it shine golden. Sam’s breath caught, and he just found himself staring as his hand tangled with a tentacle.

“So, who wins?” Steve said. “The match, I mean.”

“Depends,” Sam said. His voice caught on the word. “Looks kind of like a tie to me.”

“Yeah,” Steve said. He brought two tentacles up to wrap around Sam’s shoulders. “A tie.”

Steve gently pulled Sam forward. Sam brought his arms up around Steve, and their lips met in a soft kiss. More tentacles wrapped around Sam, along with Steve’s arms, and he enjoyed the feel of being enveloped like that. He pressed into Steve, the kiss deepening, until all he could concentrate on was the feel of Steve touching him all over.

When they broke apart, Sam said, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

“I can guess,” Steve replied. “Considering I wanted to the moment I saw you.”

“Such a player.”

They laid in the water for a few minutes longer, neither wanting to break the moment. They kissed again, and Sam tilted Steve back until Steve was level with the water.

“I like you like this,” Sam said. “I mean, I like you anyway, but you’re beautiful in the water.”

Steve splashed the water around him with his tentacles. “Not really graceful in this sorry excuse for a pool, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Steve grinned and used one tentacle to pull Sam down for yet another kiss.

For Sam, his world was completely turned upside down. He wasn’t sure how he’d gone from meeting a sea creature that should have been simply fiction to falling in love with him in just a few short weeks. It was ridiculous and wonderful at the same time, and Sam wasn’t going to give that up anytime soon.

Sam probably broke a dozen rules and ordinances driving the car right up to the pool, but there wasn’t any other way. He helped Steve pull himself into the car, tentacles piling in like a bride’s complicated gown.

“Holy shit, you want to talk about heavy,” Sam said as he pushed Steve up.

“I like my mass. And you do, too.” A tentacle came up to briefly caress Sam’s face.

“Okay, yeah, I like it.”

As they drove away, Sam couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.

Steve took Natasha up on one of her workout offers. Sam and Bucky worked on the punching bags when Natasha challenged Steve to a little spar. Sam grabbed his towel and moved closer to the ring to watch.

“So you two really aren’t dating?” Bucky asked, tossing Sam a water bottle. “The way he looks at you…”

Sam caught the bottle and took several gulps before replying.

In the ring, Steve and Natasha were going at it. Steve was quick, but so was Natasha. She got behind him and swept her leg out, knocking him off his feet. But Steve was agile for someone who normally had several times his current number of legs, and he flipped up again quickly to catch her tackle. They grappled like that for several more minutes, bodies twisting together, and Sam got lost watching them.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that anymore,” Sam said at last.

He laughed at Bucky’s look of surprise. Bucky whistled low. “You dog.”

Sam was only mildly ashamed of the bro high five he exchanged with Bucky.

The fight between Steve and Natasha ended with Steve on his back and Natasha straddling him with his head trapped between her thighs, arms caught behind him.

“I win,” she said with a smirk.

Bucky whistled and applauded with his hand tapping against his thigh. “Hey, better luck next time, Steve. Don’t feel too bad, my girl is the best.”

Natasha snorted at that, flicking back a strand of hair that had come loose from her bun. “Your _girl_ , Barnes?”

Sam handed Steve his towel. Steve held his hand longer than strictly necessary, but Sam did not mind at all. “I was a little out of my element,” Steve said. “You should see me in the water.”

“Like a fish,” Sam agreed. Steve winked at him, lips twisted in a playful smirk.

Natasha and Bucky headed toward the showers, but Sam and Steve packed up their stuff and left. It would be impossible for Steve to shower there, unless he wanted the whole gym to know what he was. Bucky just muttered, “Wouldn’t ride in a car with you two lovebirds anyway,” before dodging Sam’s towel snap and waving them goodbye.

During the car ride home, Steve kept casually touching Sam. They were discussing plans for what they might do on Sam’s next day off, when Steve reached in Sam’s pocket for his ipod. The glitter in his eye was far from innocent. Steve started flipping through it. He touched Sam’s arm excitedly each time a song he really liked came on. Sam bit the inside of his lip, trying to focus on the road, but Steve was making that increasingly difficult.

When they finally reached Sam’s apartment without getting into an accident, Steve gave up any pretext and just pushed Sam against the wall.

“You’re so subtle,” Sam said as Steve sucked on his neck.

“The sneakiest,” Steve agreed, murmuring against Sam’s neck. Heat pooled in Sam’s groin, and he didn’t care that they were both sweaty and unshowered, he wanted Steve.

“Can you…?” he said, pulling back far enough to break contact with Steve. “I mean, like that. If you want to?”

Steve said, “Let’s find out.”

That was good enough for Sam. He pulled Steve back in for another kiss.

They fumbled their way to Sam’s bedroom, encouraged by an indignant screech from Redwing that had them both laughing against one another. They fell on the bed, Sam underneath Steve, and Sam let out a little grunt. “Oof, heavy,” he said.

“Sorry, you want me to stop?” Steve adopted an innocent look. He jerked his thumb behind him. “Because I can go and have a nice chat with Redwing, and leave you here just like this.” He moved his thigh so that it brushed against Sam’s groin.

Sam bit back a moan and said, “Don’t you dare.”

“Then you hush.” Steve effectively shut Sam up with another kiss.

They rutted against each other for a long time, just touching each other through clothing. At one point, Steve grunted against Sam’s shoulder and said, “This is weird.”

“Hey, I’m taking offense at that.”

“No, it’s…” Steve shifted, rubbing his crotch against Sam’s, and, oh, that felt really good. “I can’t control it. I can’t move it.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “You mean… your cock?”

Steve nodded and then rolled his hips again, which made them both moan. “Not that’s it’s a big deal,” Steve said, panting a little. “Just… weird.”

“We are so talking your anatomy later,” Sam said. “But right now, I need you and me both naked.”

Steve was more than happy to comply. He rolled off Sam in a second, and they pulled off their clothes in an unsexy rush and tangle of limbs and clothing.

They didn’t take any time to savor the moment. Sam was filled with need. He touched Steve everywhere he could, kissing down his body and up again, and Steve returned the gesture.

Steve’s reactions delighted Sam. Everything seemed so new to him. He made little noises of frustration now and then, which led Sam to ask, “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Steve said. He shook his head. “Just… Weird. Not doing this the normal way.”

“By normal way, you mean your regular body?”

“Yeah. It’s still hot.” Steve rolled his hips up so that their cocks rubbed together. “Just really weird.”

Sam came with his cock trapped between Steve’s thighs, thrusting against them. Steve came once with Sam’s hand and mouth on his cock and then again a short while later rubbing himself off against Sam’s stomach.

“Hell of a stamina,” Sam said as Steve looked down at him a dopey post-orgasmic grin.

“Two dicks,” Steve said, and kissed Sam hard and rough before Sam could ask.

They cleaned themselves up with a washcloth and curled up in bed, Steve resting his head against Sam’s chest.

“Someday,” Sam said as he stroked Steve’s shoulder, “we’re going to have to try that your way.”

Steve raised himself up above Sam. “That a promise?” His tone was confident and teasing, but there was just a hint of hesitation in there, a worry that maybe Sam was the one teasing.

“Definitely.”

Things were good. There was no way else Sam could describe it. Floating on air? Cheesy, but maybe. Happy? God, yes.

Even people at work noticed. Carol, a former Air Force officer he had been working with for a while now, said, “You’re looking happier these days.”

Sam couldn’t help his grin. “I am. But how are you doing?”

“Eight months sober, and a new job starting next week? I’m good, too.”

At the end of the session, as Carol stood to leave, she said, “Whoever you smile like that for, they’re pretty lucky.”

“I think I’m the one who’s lucky.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s them who’s the lucky one.”

Sam was making breakfast. Steve, sleepy and only half-dressed, with his hair sticking out in all directions, wandered into the kitchen. He immediately came up behind Sam and wrapped his arms around his torso.

“Morning,” Steve said and kissed Sam’s ear.

“Morning to you.”

Steve hummed and rested his head on Sam’s shoulder. After a few moments, Sam said, “You know, if you want these pancakes, you’re going to have to let me go.”

“Don’t care,” Steve said into Sam’s shoulder. “Just want to stay like this.”

Sam tapped Steve’s head. This made Steve look up, squinting at him, an adorable frown on his face. “What?”

“You’re forgetting something,” Sam said, bending his head to steal a kiss.

“Mmm.” Steve sighed into the kiss and pulled Sam closer against him. “I’ll skip breakfast and just have you.”

Sam burst out laughing. “Okay, one, whoever the hell taught you to say things like that, I don’t know whether to punch them or kiss them. Second, I started making these, you better appreciate them.”

“Oh, I will.” Steve reached over, tugging Sam along a little, to one of the finished pancakes stacked on a plate. In one swift movement, before Sam could even register what he was doing, Steve stuffed the pancake in his mouth. “Sthee?” he said, barely intelligible with his mouth full.

“Okay, back up, you’re not dropping crumbs all over me.” Sam laughed, though, at how ridiculous Steve looked with half a pancake hanging from his mouth. When the pancake started falling, Steve very gracefully flailed trying to stop it and shoved the rest in his mouth.

Sam checked his email as they ate. There was one that listed the sender as an Alexander Pierce. What caught his eye, though, was the subject line: _To Mr. Wilson and his unique male companion_.

Sam should have just marked it as spam. But there was something in his gut that made him click on it.

_Dear Mr. Wilson,_

_Although I have been unable to find any information on your companion, I was privileged to witness you two the other day as you were out and about enjoying Washington’s fair sights._

_I would like to meet with your friend. I’m sure we would have plenty to talk about. If you doubt the sincerity of my interest, please see the attached file._

_I look forward to making your friend’s acquaintance._

_-Alexander Pierce_

Sam bit his lip. There was something wrong about this.

“What’s that?” Steve said, leaning over his shoulder.

“I don’t know.” Sam double clicked the attachment. “Some kind of video, but…”

The video didn’t take long to download. When it finished, it began to autoplay, and Sam felt his stomach drop away.

It was footage from a security camera from the Lincoln Memorial angled toward the water. It only took a moment for Sam and Steve to appear. The image wasn’t the sharpest; Sam and Steve weren’t easily identifiable at a glance, but there was enough if one was looking for them.

Sam watched as he and Steve wrestled. He saw them tip back into the water. He saw them come up, laughing, and he saw Steve’s tentacles wrap around Sam and pull him in for kiss after kiss. He watched as Steve waited in the water for Sam to come back and then watched as they climbed into the car and drove off.

Beside him, Steve’s hand gripped the arm of Sam’s chair tightly.

“Well,” Steve said, voice tight, “this really doesn’t look good.”

“You said it.”

Steve and Sam talked for a long time. In the end, they brought in the only person who could help them. Sam knew he had heard the name from somewhere before. Then he remembered that Bucky had said it once in passing.

“You’re telling me,” Bucky said, looking between the two, “that Steve is some sort of sea creature?”

“Yeah,” Steve and Sam said at the same time.

“And someone is out to extort you?”

“Alexander Pierce,” Sam said. He noticed the way Bucky tensed. “Thing is, he hasn’t demanded any money. He’s just said he wants to meet. But I don’t like his tone.”

“Weighing his options,” Bucky said. “If he’s really behind it…” Bucky stared hard at Steve. “Prove it. Prove you’re some… sea creature.”

They showed him the video. Bucky sat for a long moment after seeing it, hand over his eyes. Finally, he said, “Well, that’s certainly something.”

“So far, he hasn’t demanded anything,” Steve said. “What if we just ignored it?”

“I know Pierce,” Bucky said darkly. “He has some scheme. Something that will hurt.”

“He wants to meet me, that’s all he has said. On the surface, seems harmless enough.”

“You can’t trust him,” Bucky said. “That monster should be charged for war crimes, crimes against humanity. I’d take fucking jaywalking if that’s what it takes to get him behind bars!”

Steve crossed his arms. “I don’t trust him. He just hasn’t asked for anything of value yet.”

“Neither of us trust him,” Sam said.

Bucky shook with anger, fist and jaw clenched. “I just…” He shook his head and pressed his fist against his temple.

“Hey, Bucky. It’s ok. Come back to us.”

The tension left Bucky’s body slowly. At least, his breathing returned to normal. “Thanks,” he said, shaking his head. “But you need to go to the police.”

“You know we can’t. You saw the tape.”

“I don’t know what I saw.” Bucky looked between Sam and Steve. “You can’t—” Whatever he was going to say, he bit off. “Look, just… Pierce is dangerous. You let him get close at all, he’ll take all you’re worth and more. He’ll destroy you, and even if you could find someone culpable, it won’t be Pierce. Not even connected to Pierce. It doesn’t matter what Steve is or isn’t, it’s what Pierce thinks he is.”

“So how do we get him off our backs?” Sam asked. He stood and paced, needing something to do, even if it was just fidgeting. “Doesn’t seem like this guy would take a sorry, not interested.”

Bucky met his eye. His expression told Sam more than enough; it was pointless to even think of it.

“We need to try,” Steve said. “We need to reason with him.”

“You don’t reason.” Bucky didn’t look at either Sam or Steve. His gaze was fixed on the floor, but Sam was familiar with that look. Bucky was somewhere far off, somewhere only memory could reach now. “You threaten.”

The words fell heavy in the room. Sam exchanged a glance with Steve. This wasn’t something they could go back from if they went through with it.

It was Steve who finally said, “Threaten how?”

“Make sure he knows it’ll cost him too much.”

Sam shook his head. “We don’t have leverage.”

“You don’t need leverage. You just need me.” Bucky fixed Sam with a stare. “He comes after you, I talk. I stand outside until I shout my head off. I make noise until Pierce is hounded by bad publicity whether they find proof for his war crimes or not.”

There was more that Bucky wasn’t telling them. But if Sam knew anything, he knew not to press, not with that look in Bucky’s eye, not over this. He would have to trust Bucky knew what he was doing.

“So you’re going to go in and what, tell him you’ll spill all your secrets?”

“Not me.” Bucky stood, fist clenched tightly at his side. He paced, like an animal in a cage. “You. I can’t… I don’t know what I’d do if I met him face to face.”

“So we reply and get him to meet us?”

“Just you, Sam, not Steve.” Bucky met Sam’s gaze directly. “You can’t give him what he wants. And you can’t do it on his terms. You have to unbalance him.”

Steve looked between Sam and Bucky. “And how do we do that?”

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t know, I’ll figure something out.”

“I think I can help you with that.” Out of nowhere, Sharon Carter strode through the door. Immediately, Bucky was on guard, but Steve stepped forward, surprised but obviously delighted to see her.

“Sharon?” Steve said.

“Steve,” she said. “Sam.” She looked to Bucky. “Sam’s cute friend.”

Steve walked over to her and quickly pulled her into a hug. Sam felt a little jealous tug, but he pushed it away. Steve pulled back, asking, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Aunt Peggy was worried. Also, Sam? Lock your door and talk a little quieter next time.”

And just like that, Sharon was with them.

Natasha took the news easily. She just looked between Sam and Steve for a long moment and then smirked. “I get it now,” she said. “Tentacles.”

“Look, that’s not really the focus here,” Sam said. Natasha still looked at him with a very particular look in her eye. “Steve’s in trouble, and we need to stop this Pierce guy.”

“Oh, I’m in. Anything for you two.”

When this was all over, Natasha was going to tease Sam to hell and back. But between her and Sharon, they would be able to get Sam in to see Pierce while he was in his office at Hydra Enterprises.

Natasha knew a contractor, Maria Hill, who worked with Hydra Enterprises from time to time. It was through her that they managed to get Sam scheduled for an impromptu meeting, supposedly regarding an investigation into unethical and potentially illegal business practices. Sharon helped put on some pressure from that angle, offering a few investigative reports to flash at the secretary.

As they headed toward Hydra, Sam said to Sharon, “If he’s this concerned about potential illegal operations, then what exactly is he hiding?”

“He’d be stupid not to take it seriously either way,” Sharon said with a shrug. “But to hear your friend Bucky talk about him, Pierce is in deep with some secrets he’d rather not let out. That’s enough to give any chance of public and legal scrutiny the most careful of attentions.”

The papers did the trick. It wasn’t long before Sam was escorted up to Pierce’s office.

The office was designed to impress, and impress it did. It was massive, with windows from floor to ceiling on one side, giving it the illusion of being open and airy. There was a corner with a few couches, but the centerpiece was Pierce’s desk, which wrapped around two walls. He had three computers set up, along with several neat organized piles of paper. But Sam got the sense they were more for show than real work.

Bucky said Pierce was good at delegation. Not much got his personal touch; if it did, that only indicated how valuable it was. Pierce’s personal interest in Steve therefore meant Steve was valuable to him. That made him dangerous.

A man, who could only be this Alexander Pierce, stood at the window with his back to Sam. He turned, his eyes lighting up with interest. He was an older gentleman, clearly used to money, fashion, and power. He walked slowly, hands in pockets, away from his desk to the far, mural-covered wall.

The mural featured a woman, naked from the waist up, with long, curling tentacles where her legs should have been. It wasn’t exactly like Steve, but close enough that Sam felt shivers run down his spine. Her body was twisted in a fashion that would be difficult for even the best contortionist. One tentacle caressed the underside of a breast. Her hands were both raised and tangled in her hair, which flowed around her.

Pierce followed Sam’s gaze. He reached out a hand and held it just inches from her navel which was a good foot above his head. “Exquisite, isn’t she?” he said. He glanced back at Sam with a grin. “I mean, nothing compared to the real thing, but beautiful in her own way. But I don’t need to tell you that, of course, Mr. Wilson.”

Sam crossed his arms. “You wanted to talk, so talk.”

Pierce looked amused; Sam wanted to punch the expression right off his face. “I was hoping your friend would be here, too.”

“He’s busy.”

Pierce tucked his hands in his pocket and slowly walked toward the center of the room. “Oh? And what could he be busy with?”

“Washing his hair. Now cut the crap, I don’t have all day.”

Pierce narrowed his eyes. He walked back over to the mural and looked up at it, hands resting behind his back. “I saw her when I was young. She was…” He turned, rocking his hand back and forth, searching for the right word. “Gorgeous is too poor a word. Unfortunately, I caught just a glimpse, and then she was gone. I’ve been searching ever since to meet one just like her. Imagine my surprise and delight when I find one right in my own backyard.”

“So what, you want to take him, strap him to a table, cut him open?”

“You needn’t be so crude. I’m not going to deny a scientific curiosity. But I just want to get to know him, the chance to explore a different species, a different culture… who wouldn’t want to take that chance?”

“I find most people don’t know shit about other human cultures. You could start there. Recognize Africa is a continent, not a country, that’s one people get wrong a lot.”

“You’re not seeing the big picture here, Sam.” Pierce shook his head like Sam was a disappointment. “Your friend is unlike any other known to man. The things we could learn from him. It’s unimaginable.”

Sam briefly bit the inside of his cheek. Blowing up at Pierce was not the goal right now. “You’d deny his freedom by locking him up in a lab.”

“It would only be at his acquiescence.”

“No, see, because we all know guys like you.” Sam jabbed a finger at Pierce. “They’re often politicians, usually people with money. You’d get what profit you could, and damn ethics and basic human decency. You’d use him until there was nothing left to use.” He punctuated his statement with a step forward, fists clenched at his sides.

Pierce still had that smug, self-satisfied expression, like Sam was somehow mere amusement to him. “You’re making a lot of assumptions. I’m not sure where you’re getting them from—”

Sam had had enough. Everything Pierce said was rhetoric used to pacify people into thinking that they wanted the same thing, when it wasn’t. He was wasting time trying to reason, and Pierce was enjoying himself too damn much. Time to play Bucky’s card. “Project Insight,” Sam said slowly. “Brock Rumlow. Ring any bells?”

That got to Pierce. His lips grew thin, eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you—”

“See, already you need to do more basic research. You come after us again, we will blow up the whole thing about Insight.” Sam shrugged, as if it wasn’t any big deal, bluffing that he knew exactly what all that meant to Pierce. “Up to you.”

“A court needs proof.”

“And Twitter just needs a rumor. So you back off. Or you’ll regret it.”

Pierce retreated toward his desk, keeping a slow pace, but with a stiffness in his gait he didn’t have before. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t have had a more civil conversation.”

“Oh, I was civil. There were three other people who would have just come in here and knocked you on your ass. You should be glad I came instead of them.”

Pierce smiled, the tight, featureless smile of forced politeness. He finger hovered over his intercom as he said, “Good talk, Mr. Wilson. I can have security show you out.”

“I remember the way.”

When Sam slammed the car door a little too hard, Sharon asked, “Bad, huh?”

Sam just gave her a grim look. As far as he could tell, nothing had been accomplished. Pierce was rattled, maybe, but that didn’t mean he was ready to give up. Sam could only hope that Pierce was a good enough actor that he’d been hiding real panic at Bucky’s threat.

If not, this wasn’t the end of it.

They didn’t hear anything at all the next week. Sam slowly began to relax; he stopped expecting to see a new email from Pierce in his inbox, and Steve was still there when he come home each day.

“Really,” Steve said one evening as he lounged in the tub, “we probably overreacted.”

That, Sam was sure, was untrue. He leaned against the wall, dressed just in a pair of shorts. “You didn’t speak with him. He just gave off the creeps.”

“Well, okay, but we don’t have anything to worry about anymore?”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

Steve grinned and leaned over the tub, resting his chin on his folded arms. “My hero.”

Sam reached over and tapped Steve’s nose. “Don’t you know it.”

“Hey.” Steve pointed to his lips. “I think you were aiming for this.”

Sam let a tentacle pull him down to kiss Steve. The position was a bit of a strain on his back, but he shivered under the gentle touch of Steve stroking his spine with a tentacle. He tangled one hand in Steve’s hair, the other supporting his weight against the tub, and rested his forehead against Steve’s.

“I want to feel them,” Sam said. He felt Steve tense “Please.”

Steve stared at Sam for a long moment. Sam thought that maybe he would back down, that this wasn’t something Steve was willing to do. But Steve placed his hand over Sam’s at the edge of the tub and gave it a squeeze. A second later, he brought one of his tentacles up to stroke down Sam’s chest.

“If that’s what you want,” Steve said, voice husky.

Sam grinned. “That’s exactly what I want.”

There wasn’t much room in the bathroom, so they moved to the living room. Redwing gave a brief squawk, before hiding in the corner of his cage.

Steve was still wet, but Sam didn’t care. He tangled his hands in Steve’s hair and just kissed him, languid, enjoying the feel of Steve’s lips on his. Steve deepened the kiss, and as he did so, he brought up a tentacle and curled it around Sam’s back.

The suckers pulled gently at his skin, no real traction there, just soft little touches. Steve turned it over and ran the back of his tentacle down Sam’s skin. The motion was smoother, though still a little rough. Steve’s skin was just damp now, no longer slick, and Sam enjoyed the friction.

Sam felt a pressure against his groin; he glanced down to see the base of one tentacle pressing against his crotch.

Sam took in a shaky breath. “So how does this work?”

“Not much different than before,” Steve said.

“Do your tentacles.. Are they like your dick?”

Steve chuckled, low and throaty, and that went straight to Sam’s groin. “Not all,” Steve said. A tentacle, this one looking slightly different than the others, flatter with a rounder edge, came up to brush down Sam’s chest. As he did this, Steve’s mouth fell open, and his breathing quickened. “Just this one,” and a second tentacle followed the first, “and this one.”

“So you have two dicks.” Sam swallowed as the two flatter tentacles flicked at his nipples. “You lucky bastard.”

Steve grinned. “I think you’ll enjoy them, too.”

Sam could only nod. He kissed Steve quickly once more before pulling off his shorts. This way, they were both naked, and Steve leaned back, pulling Sam down with him.

Steve’s tentacles were strong. He wrapped one around Sam’s arm and pulled him back slightly, so that he was angled sideways. Another tentacle wrapped around his torso, gliding across it, and a third wrapped around his upper thigh, the end teasing his cock.

When the underside of that tentacle rubbed against Sam, he groaned, closed his eyes. It was a soft massage, damningly gentle, by what felt like dozens of fingers that could also pull at his skin and were no wider than a quarter of an inch. “Keep doing that,” Sam gasped, balancing himself with his other hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Just… keep doing that.”

So Steve did. It became maddening soon, because Sam needed more. He thrusted against it, urging Steve to move faster, to wrap it around him and jerk him off, whatever he could do. Steve chuckled against Sam’s skin as his lips played with one of Sam’s nipples.

Sam’s skin was on fire from everywhere Steve touched. He enveloped Sam using just half of his tentacles, and Sam twisted in their grasp, needing more contact, more movement. Steve gave it to him. Steve’s hands kept busy, too, running down Sam’s sides, fingers creating a different pattern of touch as they danced over his skin.

As a tentacle brushed against Sam’s cheek, he said in a breathy whisper, “This is awesome.”

Steve grinned, his face red either from embarrassment or arousal. “Yeah.”

They shifted position until Steve was on his back, Sam kneeling above him. His right arm was still bound and held up by one tentacle, and Sam placed his left hand on the ground next to Steve’s head. Steve turned to give Sam’s wrist a quick peck, and then, when Sam shuddered as a tentacle wrapped itself down his back and along his ass, took that as a sign to kiss it again, like he would have kissed Sam’s mouth.

Sam half-laughed. “Tickles,” he said, all he could manage as Steve slowly wound a tentacle around his cock. It was one of the two flatter ones, and Steve’s bit his lip as he rubbed himself against Sam, grinding their two very different cocks together.

“Hand,” Sam said between heavy breaths. “Give me your hand.”

Steve looked curious, but he obliged, raising his hand up to Sam’s face. The shift in his expression, growing darker, his breaths coming quicker, as Sam sucked in two fingers in his mouth was delightful.

He swirled his tongue around, curling around Steve’s fingers gently, as one tentacle continued to rub itself down along his ass. With the suckers pulling his balls back just slightly as it moved, Sam couldn’t think and sucked harder.

Steve groaned beneath him. “Can I…? Will you…?” His voice was rough and he didn’t finish as he raised the other flatter tentacle to Sam’s face.

Sam released Steve’s fingers to say, “I do give a hell of a blow-job.” His voice caught at the end of the sentence, cracking a little, and that sent Steve and Sam into a short flurry of giggles.

When they calmed down, Sam turned his head and captured Steve’s tentacle in his mouth.

Steve shivered below him, tilting his chin up, mouth dropping open. “Sam,” he said, a strangled, cut off sound. Sam grinned around the tentacle and then went back to licking and sucking. The texture was a little rubbery, but not completely unlike a human cock.

They moved like that for a long while, Steve caught between rubbing himself against Sam, and Sam also working him with his mouth. Sam trembled every time a tentacle pulled at his balls. He felt safe like this, just completely enveloped by Steve and his numerous limbs.

Suddenly, Steve jerked himself free of Sam’s mouth. “I’m going to…”

“Do it,” Sam said, a harsh rough command, and he opened his mouth for Steve. Steve complied in an instant. A moment later, his come filled Sam’s mouth, saltier than Sam had expected, with a slight fishy taste, but that didn’t bother Sam.

He swallowed around Steve’s tentacle, which had Steve shuddering beneath him, the one tentacle pressing up against Steve’s ass moving faster, his other flatter tentacle twisting harder, and then he came with that one, too, pressed against Sam’s cock, his come covering Sam’s stomach.

“Keep going,” Sam breathed, and Steve did, in stuttering movements, until Sam felt his own release build, and he came.

Steve lowered him down slowly until Sam was flat on top of him, chest to chest. They panted together, trying to catch their breaths. Sam felt good, his skin well massaged, his limbs loose from pleasure and orgasm, and his heart near to bursting with a head-over-heels kind of love for the gorgeous tentacled merman beneath him.

He kissed Steve slowly. “That was amazing,” he said, softly, pressing his forehead against Steve’s. “We are definitely doing that again.”

“Yeah,” was the only thing Steve said before kissing Sam again.

They cleaned themselves up before collapsing in Sam’s bed, Steve taking up most of it with his mass of tentacles that just couldn’t seem to keep still. They kept touching Sam, casually, lightly, but there was no way in hell Sam was going to tell Steve to stop.

He felt happy and loose and like he had won the goddamn lottery.

Neither were tired enough to sleep yet, so they ended up chatting, just easy, casual talk about their lives. Sam didn’t know much about Steve’s life, so he asked.

“So, tell me about these other friends of yours. How do you know Sharon?”

“I knew Peggy when she was young,” Steve said. He stroked Sam’s back lazily with one tentacle. “I was pretty young, too. Should have seen me. Half my size now, scrawny, didn’t know a foot from a feather. Peggy taught me a lot about humans.”

“That makes you, like, what, 50? Looking real good for an old guy.”

“90 something, I think.” Sam whistled low. “It’s hard to tell exactly.” Steve pulled Sam in a little closer, resting his head against Sam’s chest. “You still love me even though I’m an old man?”

“You bet your saggy wrinkled ass I love you. But how old does that make you? Really?”

“Not old. About your age?”

Sam shrugged. “Well, I guess that doesn’t make you a cradle robber.” He wasn’t going to consider what Steve’s lifespan meant in the long term; it was just something that, if they were together years from now, they would deal with. Steve would deal with it. Alone.

Steve chuckled and pressed a kiss against Sam’s sternum. “Peggy introduced Sharon to me when she was little. I watched her grow up every summer when she visited. At some point, she decided she was going to be my protector.”

“I was glad for her help.”

“She’s a good person.”

Sam pulled Steve in a little closer. “I’m really in love with you,” he said against Steve’s hair.

Steve shifted so he could meet Sam’s eye as he said, “And I’m in love with you. Tie?”

“Hey, it’s not a competition.”

Steve raised himself up so that he loomed over Sam, a mischievous look on his face. “Oh, isn’t it?”

Sam landed heavily on his back on the floor after that wrestling match, laughing and exclaiming that use of all of Steve’s limbs was cheating.

That weekend, they elected to get out of bed as little as possible, sometimes having sex while Steve was human, sometimes while he had all his tentacles. Sam felt sore, but happy, and he pressed “Ignore” whenever Bucky tried to call him.

Monday came, however, and Sam had to get back to work. Thankfully, the day passed quickly, and Sam was relieved to come home. He had always enjoyed the end of the work day, the ability to return home and relax, spend time with Redwing, but with Steve waiting there, everything was so much better.

“You miss me?” he said as he approached Steve, who sat cross-legged on the couch channel surfing.

“You forgot your phone.” Steve tossed it over to him.

Sam hadn’t even noticed. “Thanks. Did I miss any calls?”

Steve shook his head, attention still trained on the TV. “Been a quiet day.”

Sam leaned over the back of the couch, tapped Steve’s shoulder to center his focus on Sam, and kissed Steve slowly. “So, what should we do for this evening?” He massaged Steve’s shoulders as Steve leaned his head back to look up at Sam.

“Mmm, I’ve got some ideas…”

Turned out that Sam really liked those ideas.

Sam woke up in bed alone. He stretched, feeling sleepy, but content, and made his way slowly to the kitchen. He stopped to wish Redwing a good morning, who just screeched in reply. Steve wasn’t in the kitchen, but Sam didn’t worry. He was likely in the bathroom. Sam fixed himself a bowl of cereal, feeling too lazy to cook anything fancy.

However, when Sam was done and Steve still hadn’t shown up, he knocked on the bathroom door, which was half closed before opening it. Steve wasn’t there. He wasn’t in his room either. There was nowhere else he could be. Steve wasn’t home.

Sam felt something heavy in his stomach.

He found the note on on the side table by the couch a few panicked moments later. Sam tried to steady his breathing as he read it.

_Sam,_

_I’m sorry I have to go. I wanted to say goodbye, but this proved easier. Thanks for everything. I’ve never been happier. I want you to know that and remember that._

_-Steve_

Sam sank to the floor in front of the couch. What the hell was Steve thinking? Why? If he had just told Sam that there was something wrong rather than just leaving without saying goodbye…

Sam read the note again and again, but it didn’t say anything new and didn’t reveal Steve’s reason. If he was so happy, why did he leave without talking to Sam first?

Sam couldn’t process this alone. He found his phone and flipped through recent calls. Among a list of numbers that included calls from friends, family, and work, there was an unknown number. The call had lasted ten minutes. It was yesterday, when Sam left his phone at home.

His heart falling to the pit of his stomach, Sam realized where Steve had gone.

The minute Bucky answered, Sam just said, “He’s gone.”

“Who is?” Bucky said. He sounded tired, but before Sam could say Steve, he heard a sharp intake of breath. “He wouldn't—”

“He did.” Sam tried to calm his own breathing, but he felt out of breath, as if he had run a marathon, and worried as hell. “He went to Pierce, I know it.”

There was a small commotion on the other side of the line, and then Natasha’s voice said, “Sam? We’re going to get him back. Bucky and I will be there in ten minutes, okay?”

Sam looked up to the ceiling. He didn’t believe in a god, but damn if he didn’t have friends he could believe in. He nodded, even though Bucky and Natasha couldn’t see it. “Yeah. We’re getting him back.”

It was several agonizing days before they could make a move. Natasha and Sharon, who was thankfully still in town, took recon duty, figuring out Pierce’s day-to-day schedule. Sam hated having to wait. With every hour that passed, it just made it all the more possible that Pierce had shipped Steve out of the city or, worse, killed him outright and had him on a dissecting table somewhere.

“If we mess this up, we all end up in prison. For real this time,” Bucky said. “We’ll get him back. I promise.”

“I know. I just…” Sam clenched his fists. It had been a long time since he had wanted to punch something in his anger. “Why would he do that?”

Bucky’s gaze was dark. “You. He wants to protect you.”

“I can protect myself.”

“Well, he loves you a lot, and that’s something you two will have to work out someday.”

Sam couldn’t find a response. It was stupid of Steve to have just have left like that, making a decision about Sam’s safety that he shouldn’t have. He couldn’t have stopped Steve if he really wanted to go, but he could have at least kept him from doing it for a dumb reason. Bucky was right; they would have to work that out someday. If there was a someday.

By next Tuesday, a week after Steve’s disappearance, they were ready to move.

However, from the start, the plan didn’t go smoothly. That night, Pierce decided to stay late. In one way, it was a blessing in disguise; there were fewer people around, and it was late at night. However, they could no longer be sure that their pre-arranged route would be clear.

Sam grew anxious waiting. He drummed his fingers on the wheel of the car. Sharon placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him. “He’ll come soon enough.”

“This is so illegal,” Sam said with a derisive laugh. “Write each other letters from our respective prisons?”

“In your dreams,” Sharon said with a smirk. “I’ll be too busy being queen of the place.”

“You’re a cop, you won’t be popular.”

“You underestimate my charm.”

Just then, Sam’s phone buzzed. “We’ve got incoming,” Natasha said as he answered. “Be ready.”

Sam signaled to Bucky and Maria with a flash of the car lights. They waited, watching down the road, until the headlights of Pierce’s car appeared. “Showtime,” Sam muttered.

They pulled out abruptly, Sam and Sharon from one side, Bucky and Maria on the other. That pulled Pierce up short, his tires squealing as he hit the brakes. A second later, Sharon darted out and was at Pierce’s window.

Sam couldn’t hear her, but it was just a moment before Pierce stepped out of the car, walked to the passenger side, and got in again. Sharon slid into the driver’s seat, and then they were off, Bucky leading the way and Natasha pulling up the rear.

They drove for a good half hour before they stopped in an empty industrial lot. By the time Sam was out of the car, Bucky already had gotten Pierce out, and the others stood waiting.

“Where’s Steve?” Sam said as he approached. “Tell us, and you can go.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pierce said with a shrug. He glanced around him, his face bored. “Well, if you’d like, I can put a call in for kidnapping…”

“It’s a talk,” Bucky said. “A talk about the things I know, and the things you know. That’s it.”

“Besides,” Sharon added with a flash of the badge at her belt, “I have several witnesses here that can corroborate that this is part of an official police investigation.”

Sharon’s bluff got to Pierce. He didn’t show it much, but the way he held himself shifted, and the smile he adopted was a little too forced. Sam recognized a man on the defensive when he saw one.

“Police brutality and intimidation is unsettling for a woman as lovely as yourself. I see you brought a bit of muscle as back up.” Pierce eyed Bucky and Sam. “Couldn’t handle me yourself?”

Sharon didn’t rise to the bait. “Talk to me about being a woman when you’ve been one. Or you could just keep digging that hole of yours.”

Sam stepped forward. He didn’t have time for this. “Give us Steve, you go. That’s it. Simple.”

“Well, he’s not with me. Obviously.”

“If you’ve hurt him-”

“I told you, I don’t have him. We spoke, and he went on his way.”

Bucky stepped up behind Pierce. “You’re lying.” His hand went to Pierce’s neck. Pierce’s eyes grew wide, but otherwise he didn’t show any indication of pain. “Where is he?”

Sam tried to warn Bucky with a look. They weren’t going to torture him. They were already in deep enough shit as it was.

“I told you, we spoke, and he left. I guess he decided he didn’t want to go back to you all.”

Bucky grabbed the front of Pierce’s shirt and spun him around. His eyes burned with anger. Sam took a step forward, but he held himself off. He was going to trust Bucky, that Bucky could hold himself back just a little longer.

Bucky spoke quietly through clenched teeth, but loud enough for Sam to hear him. “You think Rumlow’s so loyal to you, but when he hears how you screwed him over, too, you think he’ll stay quiet? You think he’ll let you cheat him like that? Take the fall for you? See, hiding secrets from your pet dogs isn’t in your best interest. So tell us where Steve is now, or you’re gonna get bit.”

Time stopped as Bucky and Pierce faced one another down. No one moved; no one said a word. This was history Sam didn’t fully understand, and history he would never fully know. This was more than just about Steve; it was about Bucky and his peace of mind. But Sam wasn’t part of that story. Bucky wouldn’t let him in to it.

At last, Pierce said, voice carefully controlled, “You remember he came to me.”

“Only because you threatened him,” Sam said. But Pierce didn’t act like he heard him. He kept his focus trained on Bucky.

“He’s a guest of mine. A memory from childhood brought to life.”

Sam sucked in a breath: the mural. “Steve’s at Hydra.”

Bucky held on to Pierce for one moment longer before shoving him away.

As Pierce adjusted his collar and tie, he said, “Pity about the arm, Barnes.”

Bucky clenched his fist, but he ignored Pierce. He said to Sam, “We going to go get him?”

“Hell yeah,” Sam said.

“Before we go…” From behind Pierce, Natasha reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone. In seconds, she had taken out the battery and pocketed it. “We’ll leave it on your desk for you.”

Sharon caught Sam by the shoulder and said under her breath, “You want to punch him, I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Wouldn’t be worth the effort,” Sam said, loud enough for Pierce to hear.

Sharon and Maria stayed behind to hold Pierce for a while longer, to give the others enough time to get Steve.

Natasha got them into Hydra Enterprises easily. Sam didn’t want to ask where she had learned to disable security systems, so he didn’t. He led the way to Pierce’s office, and it just took a second for Natasha to open the lock.

“Behind the mural,” Sam said.

Natasha ran her fingers along the edge, looking for the latch. “Creepy piece of work.”

Whether she meant the mural or Pierce, Sam wholeheartedly agreed either way.

Natasha found the release, and a panel popped open, leading to a shallow smaller room, just deep enough for a person. There was just one door. “Must have installed this mural in front of the wall to hide this room. Probably erased from the floor plans.”

“Don’t care,” Sam said as he opened the door.

It was a lab, filled with computers, chemicals, and various equipment, including a wide flat table big enough for three men. But Sam spared all that just a glance, because along the far wall was a tank that held Steve.

He was floating with his eyes closed in the center. The tank wasn’t large enough for him to swim around much, and it was only the sight of little bubbles coming from his gills that reassured Sam Steve was still alive.

“Steve,” he said, softly, just a breath, and then he said again, “Steve!”

Steve opened his eyes slowly, like he was waking up. He spotted Sam, Natasha, and Bucky, eyes glancing between them, and a smile slowly appeared. His mouth formed words like he was trying to talk, but it was slow, too slow. His response time was low, and that worried Sam.

“We’ll get you out of there.”

Natasha got the tank unlocked, and the three of them pulled Steve out. He was weak and tired, barely able to pull himself along in that rolling fashion he normally used on land. Sam and Natasha each took an arm and slung it over their shoulders. Bucky walked ahead, opening doors and keeping a lookout.

They got Steve safely to the car. The drive home was tense. Natasha offered to drive, but Sam refused. He gripped the wheel tightly, keeping his attention focused on the road. When he glanced in the rear view mirror, it took all his strength of will to not just stare at Steve, who lay against Bucky’s shoulder, eyes closed, breathing slowly.

By the time they arrived home, Steve was looking a little more alert, though he was clearly exhausted. “I’m fine,” he insisted, but his tentacles could barely hold up his weight.

They got him in and to the couch. “I’ll be right back,” Sam said, and Steve just nodded, stretching himself carefully out.

Sam escorted Natasha and Bucky back to their car. Bucky had been quiet since they’d left Pierce, and when he settled into the passenger seat, he stared straight ahead.

Sam placed a hand on the door. “You going to be okay?”

Bucky nodded, but he didn’t look at Sam. “Yeah. You two just take care of yourselves.”

Natasha leaned over, resting a hand on Bucky’s thigh. “I’ll look after him, no worries.”

“Hey, Bucky... I’ve got one more request.”

That made Bucky turn, curious.

After speaking with them a few more moments, Sam returned back up to the apartment. Steve had settled on the floor in front of Redwing’s cage, looking up at him. He turned when Sam entered.

The moment stretched out, long and awkward, but Sam didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what Steve was thinking, and Steve seemed hesitant to share any thoughts.

“Thank you,” Steve said at last, a genuine, but sad, smile spreading over his face.

“We can talk in the morning. You should get some rest.”

“Come with me?”

Steve held out his hand. As Sam took it, he felt the pressure from the last several days flow out of him, and relief flooded in. He clung tightly to Steve that night, and Steve to him, tentacles wrapped around and pulling him in.

Sam woke up alone. He had a brief panic that Steve was gone, again, but Steve was just in the kitchen, his body human again, cooking breakfast.

“Hey,” Steve said, warm and loving and as if the whole last week hadn’t happened.

Sam wasn’t going to push it just yet. They needed to have a talk, but first, Sam needed to touch Steve, remind himself that Steve was real and here and safe. He wrapped his arms around his back, resting his head on his shoulder. Steve leaned back into his touch with a soft sigh.

“You know, this all feels a little familiar,” Steve said. “Something about not being conducive to cooking?” But he brought his hand up and laid it over Sam’s, which rested on his belly.

“Why?” Sam asked. “Why’d you do it?”

“The eggs are going to burn.”

Sam huffed. He reached around, turned off the stove, and shoved the pan of eggs aside. “Why, Steve?”

Steve didn’t say anything at first. He ran his fingers across the back of one of Sam’s hands, and Sam brought up his other to catch it, twining their fingers together.

“He threatened you.”

“That’s not reason enough.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Steve broke free, stepping away few paces. “It was my choice, okay?”

“This isn’t something for you to decide on your own,” Sam said. “You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for me.”

Steve looked angry all of a sudden, and Sam thought he was about to yell. But Steve bit back whatever he was going to say, taking slow breaths. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. Just talk to me.” Sam came up beside him, stroking Steve’s arm gently. “I care about you.”

“I know.” Steve leaned forward until Sam could feel his breath tickle the fine hairs of his skin. “I wanted to protect you, but I guess you don’t need it.”

“It’s simple,” Sam said. “I fall in a river, you’re welcome to fish me out. Please do.” This made Steve chuckle. “But you don’t get to decide what’s best for me regarding the people I associate with. And that includes you. If you think my being with you puts me in danger, that’s my choice, not yours.”

“And if I don’t want to see you get hurt?” Steve’s brow furrowed, and he pulled away. “What then?”

“We talk, we make choices together. If this is going to be a… a thing, a relationship, more than just fuck buddies, we talk.”

The anger left Steve once again, and he leaned into Sam’s embrace. “Shit boyfriend, huh?”

“It’s something to work on.” Sam rubbed circles over Steve’s back. “Like anything else. People are complicated.”

He felt Steve tense beneath him. “But that’s just it,” Steve said, breaking away from Sam once more. “I’m not a person.”

“You are—”

“This isn’t who I am.” Steve gestured at his body, from his wide shoulders to his long legs. “This isn’t me. I’m not human, Sam. I can playact, but I’m not human.”

“You think I care if you’re human or not? I don’t need you to have two legs, Steve. I just want you, in whatever shape and size you come in.”

“I’m not human,” Steve repeated, a little insistent. But Sam caught the hesitation there.

“I know. Look, I asked Bucky if he could do me one last favor. Humor me, hear me out, and if you want to walk away, well, I’m not going to stop you. It’s your choice.”

Steve looked away. “We should finish making those eggs.”

“Steve. Please.”

Steve ran a hand over his hair. “Fine. Okay. We’ll do that.”

Bucky came through for Sam; the pool at the McKenzie gym was closed for a private engagement that day, for Mr. Wilson.

“One day,” Sam said jokingly to Steve, “I’m going to get Bucky to tell me just how he knows all these people.”

Steve didn’t waste any time. He shucked off his clothes and just dove into the water.

Sam crouched at the edge as Steve emerged, skin glistening, tentacles floating around him. “Hope the chlorine isn’t bothersome?”

Steve shook his head. “This is fantastic.” Just before he ducked under the water again, he flushed, cheeks a little red with delight, and said, “Thank you.”

Sam watched Steve swim for a long time. Steve swam this way and that, darting back and forth. Occasionally, Steve broke the surface, but mostly, he stayed beneath the water, his tentacles sometimes snapping up above.

He was beautiful. He swam with an ease and a joy that Sam felt when he used to take to the air.

Steve hadn’t been able to swim like this since he decided to follow Sam. Sam hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but from the way Steve acted now, he knew that Steve needed this. He needed to be himself.

The human legs were maybe some kind of defense mechanism. Steve wasn’t built for life on land, not for long term. And if Sam wanted to stay with him, he needed to consider that. Relationships were give and take, but this was something that was of a much more unusual shade.

When Steve drifted slowly back over, Sam, sitting cross legged with chin resting on his hands, said, “You’re beautiful, Steve. And funny, and smart, and just amazing.”

Steve hung onto the side. “Look in a mirror, Sam Wilson.” He held out his hand. “Because I see all that when I look at you.”

“You’re a smooth talker.”

“So long as it works.” Steve crooked his fingers. “You going to join me?”

Sam piled his clothes off to the side before slipping in. Steve reached out for him as he slid into the water, and he half caught Sam. He pulled Sam in for a quick kiss. “Thank you,” Steve said. “I needed this.”

“I know. And I’m sorry we haven’t done this before.”

Steve shrugged, and he took them on a swim around the pool. “Talk about choices, I was the one who followed you.”

“But this is why we need to talk more.”

“Let’s just swim for awhile?”

So they did. Steve could easily outpace Sam, but that didn’t matter. They swam, sometimes circling one another, sometimes together, sometimes one pulling the other, and sometimes just on their own.

Sam was a prune by the time Steve gathered him up in his arms and just held him.

“Thank you for getting me,” Steve said into Sam’s wet shoulder.

“Hey, I thought we went through this.” Sam stroked Steve’s hair back, which made water spray and caused the strands to stick up. “I wasn’t going to leave you.”

Sam pushed Steve far enough away so that he could look Steve in the eye. He said, “If you don’t want to do this anymore, then fine. But don’t end this because you’re afraid for me. If it’s for yourself, then, well, I can’t stop you. But give me the chance to follow you.”

“What if another Pierce comes along?”

“Then we deal with that together.”

Sam took one of Steve’s hands in his own, so that they were palm to palm and their fingers were entwined. He didn’t have to worry about floating; Steve wrapped his tentacles around him, holding him up.

It made Sam feel off balance and out of control, but he trusted Steve wouldn’t dunk him. Not without some playful warning at least.

“Choose what you want to do, but if we’re going to be together, we need to make decisions together.”

Steve glanced away for a moment before looking back at Sam. His smile spread across his face, cheeks round, eyes lit up with crinkles around them. Sam's stomach fell away as his heart was filled with want and love and joy. "I want to be with you, Sam. That's what I want."

Sam's grin matched Steve's. "You don't know what you make me feel."

Steve shrugged. "If anything like you make me feel, I'm pretty sure I have an idea."

Steve flicked water at Sam with one tentacle, and that set them off in a close range splash fight that left them laughing and panting and then kissing each other hard, desperate.

They ended up with their foreheads pressed together, Sam gripping Steve's arms, and Steve's tentacles wrapping around his shoulders.

“So I figure I’ll win the lottery," Sam said, "and we can build a really nice house right on the beach, right? And it’ll have waterways in all the rooms, big pools of water, basically everything is half land, half water. And I’ll get used to being pruny most of the time, because I’ll be in the water with you having mind blowing sex.”

Steve laughed. “As great as that sounds, you don’t have to go through that much trouble. We’ll make it work.”

“I love you,” Sam said, words coming out rushed and stumbled, but with every bit of feeling behind them.

“Lucky for me, because I love you, too.”

The water was cold, but Steve was warm, and Sam held on tight. “I could get used to this, easy,” Sam said.

“Good,” Steve said, voice soft, “because I’m already used to this.”

Steve brought Sam in for another kiss.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Fanmix] The Eight Leg Advantage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1762215) by [Readbyanalise010](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Readbyanalise010/pseuds/Readbyanalise010)




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